Mud-chain-applying mechanism



Feb. 16 1926. 1,573,283 R. L. SUTTER MUD CHAIN APPLYING MECHANISM FiledSept. 15. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 $2 11 I r I Feb. 16,1926. 1,573,283,

R. L. SUTTER MUD CHAIN APPLYING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 15. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 a ,fzg 5'11 1 Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

v unrrso sra 'rss i ROBERT L. SUTTER, OF FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA.

MUD-CHAIN-APPLYING- .MECHANISM.

Application filed September 13, 1923.

chains for motor vehicles and more pa rticularly to mechanism forapplying such chains. 1 The object of the invention is to providemechanism positioned adjacent the driving wheels of .the vehicle andoperable from within the car so that the chains may be placed on thewheels by lever actuated means without the driver leaving his seat.

Another object is to provide such mechanism so constructed and mountedthat it will be protected against mud and dirt when not in use and whichby pressure on a foot lever is opened up ready for use and on thecontinued pressure of the lever and the moving of the driving wheelswill cause the chains to be placed on the wheels.

lVith the fore oing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangen'ient of parts and in the details of construction hereinai'tcrdescribed and claimed, it beingumlerstood that changes in the precisecml'iodiment oi the in vcntion herein disclosed, may be made with in thescope of what is claimed without dcparting from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawingn:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an auton'iobile equipped withthis improved meehanisinparts being broken out and in section.

- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown applied.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism with one wall of its housingremoved, and parts shown in section.

Fig. t is an enlarged detail front clsva tion of the mechanism.

Fi 5 is a side elevation showing the parts in position with the chainready to be engaged with the wheel.

Fig. 6 is asimilar View showing the parts in the position assumed on thecompletion of the application of the chain; and

Fig. 7 is a detail of the brake for controlling the feeding of the chainduring its application.

In the embodiment illustrated the chain Serial No. 662,546.

applying mechanism constituting this invention is shown mounted in ahousing 1 designed to be located on the running board 2 of an automobileadjacent the perimeter of the rear or driving wheel It is to beunderstood of course that one oi these 1uechanisms is mounted on eachrunning board for applying chains to the two rear wheels.

The wheel 3 is equipped with laterally extending transversely alinedpins t projecting from the opposite sides of the wheel gim and which aredesigned to cooperate with the mechanism in the housing l for attachingthe chain in a manner presently to be described.

Mounted in the housing 1 is a drum on which the chain 10 is designed tobe wound when not in use. This drum 5 has the end plates 6 thereof,which are secured to the drum proper and connected to movesimultaneously, provided with recesses 7 which are designed to receiveheader. studs 11 carried by one end of the chain 10. Spring clips Barealso carried by the stud carried end of the chain and are (ltSl ]1t3Ll.'i ()t connection with the pins at on the wheel as will be presentlymore fully described.

The other end of the chain it) equipped with laterally spaced books 13which are normally held by spring lingers l'i pivotally mounted on thccnds o'li bars 15 and 16 which are mounted to slide in guides 17 on thebottom of the housing as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. These bars 15 and1(3 merge at their inner ends into a bar 18 suitably guided on thebottom oi the housing and connected at its free end with a crank arm 19carried by a shaft 20 mounted in suitable hearings on the chassis ot thecar and extending transversely thereof. This arm 19 is carried by theshaft 20 and is connected with a foot lever 22 located in the car inposition for convenient actuation by the driver. A coiled spring 23 isconnected with the arm 1!) and normally holds the bars 1:) and 1(3 andthe fingers 1i carried thereby in retracted position. The lingers 1.4;are pivoted to swing freely on the arms so that when the books 13 areremoved from the fingers these liu' gers will drop down out of the pathof the wheel.

The housing 1 is equipped at its rear end opposite the perimeter ofwheel 8 witha sliding closure 2% connected by a bell crank 25 and rod 26with the crank arm 19 so that when the foot lever 22 is depressed theclosure 24 will be opened simultaneously with the projection of bars 15and 16 which positions the chain carrying fingers 14 so that the hooks13 will lie in the path of the pins 4 on wheel3 and on the turning ofthe wheel these pins will engage said hooks and carry them around withthe wheel causing the chain to unwind from the drum 5 onto the perimeterof the wheel. hen the hooks 13 are disengaged from the fingers 14, thesefingers will drop down by gravity out of the path of the wheel.

A cross bar in the form of an angle iron 27 has round ends journaled inthe side walls of the housing 1 in a plane below the drum shaft and hasfixed thereto inside said housing radially extending arms 28 and 29which are equipped at their free ends on their inner edges with seats 30which are,

(ksigned to receive the headed studs 11 when the chain 10 has beenunwound from the drum said studs being guided in their transfer from thedrum to arms 28 and 29 by guards or shields 31 carried by the housingadjacent the perimeter of the drum plates or ends 6.

A coiled spring 32 connects bar 2? with the housing and exerts itstension to normally hold the arms 28 and 29 with their seat carryingends properly positioned to receive the, studs 11 when the chain isunwound froin the drum. 7

The pull exerted on the chain 10 by the turning of wheel 3 after thehooks 13 l1ave been engaged with the pins of the wheel causes theunwinding of the chain from the drum and when the studs 11 have beentransferred from the drum heads to the arms 28 and 29 the continued pullon the chain operates to move said arms downward into the position shownin Fig. (3 and when in this pos tion the spring clips 12 will be engagedwith the pins 4 on the wheel and thereby unseat the pins 11 from thearms 28 and 29 thereby releasing said arms which will move back intonormal position under the tension ofspring 32. lhe chains will then beconnected with the wheel ready for use and on the release of the lever22 the closure 24: will move down to protect the mechanism in thehousing such movement being caused by the tension of spring 23.

A brake 33 is mounted on one end of the drum shaft 5 to retard theunwinding of the chain and prevent its feeding too fast during itsapplication. As shown this brake comprises a friction strap 34 extendingaround a small pulley 35 on the drum shaft 5 one end of said strap beingsecured to the end wall of the housing as shown at 36 while a bolt 37passes through the other.

end of the strap and through the body thereof for regulating the brakingengagement of the strap with the pulley.

Mechanism of the character shown and described herein is particularlyadapted for use on closed and other luxurious cars of today providingfor the application of mud or anti-skid chains to the wheels of the carwhen necessary by the simple pressure of a foot lever thereby protectingthe driver from rain and mud.

Various changes in the form shape, proportFon and other minor details ofconstruction may be made without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the. advantages of the claimed invention.

I claim The combination with a vehicle wheel having lateral projectionsadjacent its periineter, of a chain carrying drum located adjacent saidwheel, said chain having headed studs releasably engaged with said drum,hooks carried by said chain for engaging said lateral. projections,projectable means releasably supporting said hooks, means operablefrom'within the car for actuating said projectable means to position thehooks in the path of said projections whereby the hooks will be engagedwith the projections on the turning of the wheel, and means fortransferring the stud carried end of the 'cha n into engagement withsaid projections to secure the chain to the wheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixedmy signature.

ROBERT L. SUTTER.

